Policies A through D
ABS Grade
What is an ABS grade?
The grade of ABS may be given only when a student has missed the final examination; it is not appropriate in any other case. In order to receive a grade of ABS in a course, you must file a Petition for ABS Form with the Registrar's Office. This form requires the approval of the instructor, the Department Head, and the Office of Undergraduate Academics and the form should indicate a date for completion of the course, which must be within the first two weeks of the next full semester.
Absence From Class or Examination
What do I do if I miss a class or examination?
Students are expected to attend all classes in which they are enrolled. Each faculty member determines their own policy dealing with class attendance. Therefore, if a student misses a class or classes, the student is expected to discuss the matter with the instructor, and it is up to the discretion of the instructor whether to allow a student to make up any missed assignments, exams, or projects. Absences, for whatever reason, do not relieve students of their responsibility for fulfilling the requirements for any course.
If a student knows in advance that they are going to miss a class, the student is advised and is expected to discuss the situation with the appropriate faculty member in advance and in accordance with that faculty member’s guidelines for class attendance. If documentation is desired by the faculty member, the student should inquire of the faculty member what would suffice for that purpose (e.g., medical documentation, proof of court appearance, participation in university-sponsored activities etc.) and provide such documentation.
In cases of emergency or an extreme event, the Dean of Students will serve as a resource in case a student is unable to make direct contact with a faculty member. Examples where this might apply include accidents, hospitalizations, death of an immediate family member, or serious and/or debilitating health concerns.
Students with long- or short-term documented disabilities including chronic illness must meet with the Office of Disability Services to seek accommodation. The Director of Disability Services will communicate directly with faculty regarding any accommodations needed.
Academic Standing
Scholastic Requirements
Each semester students must earn at least 12 credits and a 2.000 or higher semester GPA with no more than two withdrawals or failures and have a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher.
If a student's performance falls short, the student will be placed on Academic Warning. The student and academic advisor will be notified. At that time, the student, with the help of the Office of Undergraduate Academics and his/her advisor, will identify the nature of the academic difficulty and formulate a course of action for overcoming the difficulty. A student on Academic Warning who does not meet the good academic standing criterion during that semester, will be placed on Academic Probation. A student can only be on Academic Warning one time. A student previously on Academic Warning or Academic Probation who returns to good Academic Standing and subsequently fails to meet good Academic Standing requirements will be placed on Academic Probation.
Removal From Academic Warning or Probation
Students are removed from academic warning or probation at such time as they meet the criterion listed above, effective at the end of any semester or the second summer session.
Dropped for Poor Scholarship
A student who does not meet good academic criterion in the probationary semester may be academically suspended for one semester by the Academic Promotions subcommittee of the Academic Operations and Affairs committee and asked to take a one semester Academic Leave of Absence. The student has the right to appeal the suspension.
If a student goes on probation for a second (although not necessarily consecutive) term, the Academic Promotions subcommittee of the Academic Operations and Affairs committee will determine whether the student will be permitted to continue at Stevens on probation or will be academically suspended for one semester. The student has the right to appeal the suspension.
At any time that a student's academic performance falls significantly below the above standards, the Academic Promotions Subcommittee of the Academic Operations and Affairs Committee may academically suspend the student for one semester. The student has the right to appeal the suspension.
Adding a Course
Advanced Placement
What Advanced Placement (AP) topics and scores are accepted by Stevens?
Stevens participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board. You may receive college credit toward your degree for the following examinations and corresponding scores based on the year you entered Stevens.
AP/IB AND COLLEGE TRANSFER CREDIT
Advisors
Every undergraduate student at Stevens has a Faculty Advisor/Mentor throughout his/her career at Stevens. The Faculty Advisor is available to counsel you with problems or questions, and to review and sign various administrative and academic forms.
When (and how) do I switch from my Freshman Faculty Mentor to my Concentration Advisor?
Each entering student is assigned a Freshman Faculty Mentor upon his or her arrival at Stevens. Your Freshman Faculty Mentor will be your faculty advisor until you formally enter your concentration (major) field of study. This occurs with the completion of a Study Plan with a Concentration Advisor. During the semester when you are required to submit a completed Study Plan (Term 3 for Engineering students, Term 5 for 5-Year Engineering Students, and Term 2 for all other students; see the submission schedule under Study Plans), you select a concentration advisor from the list of Concentration Advisors and meet with the advisor to complete your Study Plan. This faculty member will be your Concentration Advisor for the remainder of your undergraduate career at Stevens. If you are enrolled in more than one degree program, you must submit a Study Plan for each degree (see Double Degree).
How are advisors handled for transfer students?
Students who are transferring into Stevens into the Engineering curriculum and are undecided about their Engineering concentration are also assigned a Freshman Faculty Mentor upon their arrival at Stevens. These students must complete a Study Plan with their concentration advisor during the semester prior to taking their first concentration elective. All other transfer students are assigned their concentration advisors upon arrival at Stevens, and must complete a Study Plan during their first semester.
How can I change my advisor?
If you wish to change either your Freshman Faculty Mentor or Concentration Advisor, contact the Office of Undergraduate Academics.
Auditing Courses
What does it mean to audit a course?
To audit a course is to attend class sessions without receiving credit for the course.
How can I register to audit a course?
You may register to audit a course with the approval of the instructor and the Office of Undergraduate Academics. This course will count as an enrolled course for purposes of computing overload charges, should any be required. In order to change from credit to audit status or audit to credit status for a particular course, you must file an add/drop form with the Student Service Center before the add/drop deadline established by the Registrar's Office.
Change of Enrollment
Any change in technical elective courses must first appear on the student's study plan.
When can I add a course?
When can I add a course? Courses can be added during the ADD/DROP period in the first two weeks of each semester (one week in summer semesters) through Workday. Adding a course after that time requires the permission of your advisor, the instructor and the Office of Undergraduate Academics.
When can I drop a course?
When can I drop a course? Courses can be dropped during the ADD/DROP period in the first two weeks of each semester (one week in summer sessions) through Workday. When a course is dropped, it disappears from the records; it's as if you never enrolled in it.
When can I withdraw from a course?
You may withdraw from a course up to one week before the end of the semester.
What is a difference between a drop and a withdrawal? Does a withdrawal affect my GPA?
When a course is dropped, it disappears from the records. When a student withdraws from a course, a grade of W is recorded for that course. The grade of W does not affect the student's graduating GPA.
If I withdraw from a course, might my full-time status (and therefore my financial aid) be jeopardized?
Withdrawing from a course does not jeopardize your academic status as a full-time student (as long as you remain registered in at least 12 credits). Please meet with a financial aid representative to confirm your status. International students, withdrawing from a course could have implications for your immigration status; please consult the ISSS Office before taking any withdrawal action. (See also Full-Time & Part-Time Status).
Change of Grade
Under what circumstances may a final grade in a course be changed?
A final grade in a course may be changed only if either a) an error in grading or grade computation was made or b) an INC/ABS petition was filed before the end of the semester in which the course was taken (see INC grade or ABS grade).
What is the time limitation for a change of grade?
If one of the circumstances above applies, a grade may be changed within one regular (Spring or Fall) semester after the term in which the course was taken.
Changing Majors
How do I change my major?
During their academic careers at Stevens, some students find that their interests and goals have changed. It is possible to change one's major at any time. Students wishing to do so should meet with someone in the Office of Undergraduate Academics to discuss the procedure most appropriate for their situation. The steps necessary to make a change will vary depending on the original major, the new choice of major, and the number of terms/courses the student has completed. The student needs to complete the Change of Program of Study request in Workday.
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Cooperative Education
What is cooperative education?
For a complete description of the Co-op program, please visit the Stevens Cooperative Education web site.
When can students apply to join the co-op program?
Students generally apply at the Co-op Office in their second semester to join the Cooperative Education program. After the freshman year, students in the Cooperative Education program begin a three-year process of alternating semesters (including summers) of full-time work and full-time study. In the fifth year, the students take their regular fourth year of course work. Students may join the program as late as the second semester of the sophomore year.
Can reduced load five-year plan students join co-op?
Reduced load Five-Year Plan students can participate in the Co-op program, but their first work assignment is delayed until they have completed at least three semesters of study. Reduced load co-op students typically take six years to complete their degree.
How many students are in the co-op program?
Currently about 35% of the undergraduate students are participating in the Co-op program.
Course by Application
What is course by application?
If a particular course is not offered through the regular schedule, the course may be taken by application with the approval of the instructor, the Department Director, and the Office of Undergraduate Academics on a Request for a Course by Application form. Regular enrollment is required, and arrangements are made for the student to study the material and be tested during the semester. A letter grade is issued at the end of the semester.
Course by Examination
Can I get credit for a course by taking an examination?
This option is open to students with a GPA of 3.0 or better either in the previous semester or overall, and is limited to one per semester. Permission to take a course by examination must be obtained on a Request for a Course by Examination form from the instructor, student advisor, and the Office of Undergraduate Academics.
If the examination is successfully completed, the instructor who administered the examination issues a letter grade in the course. The examination must be taken prior to the start of a semester, and if the examination is not passed, the unsuccessful attempt is recorded as part of the student's permanent record, and the student must enroll in that course in the following semester.
A course that has already been attempted by a student cannot subsequently be taken as a Course by Examination.
Course Selection
What courses should I take next semester?
The best way to determine what courses you should take next semester is to consult the Stevens catalog. Be sure to view the curriculum for your major for the specific year in which you entered Stevens. A link to the Stevens catalog is provided in the left navigation section of this page. You should also feel free to discuss your course selection with someone in the Office of Undergraduate Academics.
For help with selecting technical electives within your major, you should consult your academic advisor. Your academic advisor is the faculty member from your academic department who signed your Study Plan. For a list of advisors for each major, click here. If you have not yet filed your Study Plan (done in term three for engineering students and term two for students in all other majors), please visit the Office of Undergraduate Academics for guidance.
Dean's List
What do I need to do to be eligible for the Dean's List?
STUDENTS ENTERING STEVENS PRIOR TO FALL 2016
The Dean's List is prepared at the end of each academic term by the Registrar's Office. To be eligible for a given semester, you must be in good standing, earn at least 12 credits, and have a 3.0 term GPA with no failures and no more than one course withdrawal.
STUDENTS ENTERING STEVENS FALL 2016 OR LATER
The Dean's List is prepared at the end of each academic term by the Registrar's Office. To be eligible for a given semester, you must be in good standing, earn at least 12 credits, and have a 3.5 term GPA with no failures and no more than one course withdrawal.
Degree with Honor and High Honor
The undergraduate Degree with Honor is conferred if you achieve a grade point average of 3.2 for courses required for the degree; the Degree with High Honor is conferred if you achieve a grade point average of 3.6 or higher for courses required for the degree.
For entering fall 2018 students:
The undergraduate Degree with Honor is conferred to the student who achieves a grade point average of 3.4 for courses required for the degree.
The undergraduate Degree with High Honor is conferred to the student who achieves a grade point average of 3.6 for courses required for the degree.
The undergraduate Degree with Highest Honor is conferred to the student who achieves a grade point average of 3.85 or higher for courses required for the degree.
Degree with Thesis
What are the requirements for earning a Degree with Thesis?
A student wishing to graduate with a Degree With Thesis must submit an application for Degree with Thesis to the Office of Undergraduate Academics no later than December 15 of the senior year. A copy of the approved thesis must be delivered to the Library by the last day of classes in the spring semester of the senior year.
Some points of interest about the Thesis:
the diploma reads "with thesis"
the thesis is not for credit and is over and above the other degree requirements
the thesis does not affect the GPA
the thesis is not treated as an overload for tuition calculation
the student may begin work on the thesis before the senior year
a public presentation of the thesis must be hosted by the department or program
the thesis must be approved by the faculty advisor and a reader
Above requirements apply to all undergraduate programs with the exception of CAL (College of Arts and Letters) programs which includes the thesis as a part of the degree requirements.
Double Degree
What are the requirements to earn two undergraduate degrees, or an undergraduate and a graduate degree at the same time?
Two B.A.'s or B.A. plus either B.S. or B.E.; Two B.S.'s or B.S. plus B.E.; Two B.E. degrees -- The requirements for this are as follows:
satisfy all the requirements for both degrees (For B.E's, including two discipline-specific design series), and have completed at least 24 credits beyond the higher of the two program requirements.
Two Study Plans are required.
Undergraduates with junior standing and a 3.0 or better GPA wishing to pursue a Master's Degree while still an undergraduate student must meet with a faculty advisor in the department of interest in order to have their qualifications evaluated and to file a Master's program Study Plan. (Click here for a list of advisors who work with undergraduate students pursuing graduate degrees).
The Master's degree courses can then be taken as overloads in such a way as to satisfy all prerequisite requirements. It is generally required that undergraduate students have junior class standing and a minimum 3.0 GPA in order to enroll in graduate courses.
If you do not finish all the requirements for the Master's degree at the time of undergraduate graduation, the Master's courses are listed on the transcript as being for deferred graduate credit, and the Master's degree can be completed at a later time.